Contract: Permanent
Location: London Sedley Place or Nottingham Support Office
Closing date: 20th Feb 2026
Recruitment Partner:
What you'll be doing
Boots, the UK's leading health, wellness and beauty retailer, is seeking an accomplished and visionary Head of Healthcare and Wellness Communications to drive the communications agenda for these highly important strategic categories.
The role requires an exceptional leader with proven expertise in healthcare communications, stakeholder engagement and reputation management at the highest level. Comfortable with operating in an exceptionally fast-paced and ever-evolving health and retail landscape, the successful candidate will be well versed at combining traditional PR approaches with innovative high-impact storytelling. The position will play a pivotal role in continuing to cement Boots' position as the market leader in health and wellness, continuing to drive perception of the role of community pharmacy and showcasing the vast range of expert health and wellness products and services on offer.
Key responsibilities
* Strategic Leadership: Develop, drive and execute Boots 'One Health' PR strategy, ensuring consistent alignment with business objectives and brand values. You will need to anticipate health and wellness trends, seize opportunities and respond decisively to the news agenda
* Campaign Delivery: Oversee the conception, planning and execution of innovative, newsworthy communications campaigns for health and wellness, that resonate with key audiences. Measure and report on impact, ensuring Boots remains front of mind in a crowded market
* Innovation & Insight: Identify emerging healthcare and wellness trends, leveraging market insights to inform communications strategy and maintain Boots' thought leadership position
* Media relations: Develop and nurture strong relationships with health and wellness media and influencer contacts to maximise positive coverage and shape favourable perception of the brand
* Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain influential relationships with media, healthcare professionals, industry bodies, regulatory authorities and key opinion leaders
* Team Leadership & Development: Lead, inspire, and challenge a high-performing communications team. Set ambitious targets, foster a culture of excellence and ensure exceptional delivery against stretching KPIs
* Continuous Improvement: Challenge the status quo, drive step-change improvements, and ensure Boots is ahead of the curve with how it shares its stories
* Reputation Management: Proactively manage Boots' reputation, responding swiftly and effectively to any issues. Navigate high-pressure situations delivering effective responses under tight deadlines
What you'll need to have
* Significant senior-level communications experience in a fast-moving healthcare, pharma or related environment
* Proven track record in leading large-scale healthcare PR campaigns and managing high-profile reputational issues
* Deep understanding of UK healthcare policy, regulation and market dynamics.
* Brilliant media operator with established network of journalists, influencers and key opinion leaders in the healthcare sector
* Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distil complex information into simple messaging, with exceptional attention to detail
* Demonstrable confidence and credibility in influencing media and key stakeholders at all levels, securing buy-in for communications initiatives and acting as a trusted spokesperson
* Strong commercial acumen and analytical skills, with the ability to measure communications effectiveness and ROI
* Ability to thrive under pressure, managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
* Resilient, curious, creative, agile and unflappable in the face of challenge
* Relevant degree or professional qualification in PR, communications, journalism, or healthcare preferred
Rewards designed for you
* Boots Retirement Savings Plan
* Discretionary annual bonus
* Generous employee discounts
* Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay and gift card for anyone expecting or adopting a child
* Flexible benefits scheme including option to buy additional holiday, discounted gym membership, life assurance, activity passes and much more.
* Access to free, 24/7 counselling and support through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Programme.
There's lots more in our benefits and discounts, MyBoosts - there to give you that little lift in your everyday. Find out more at Exclusions may apply; eligible roles only. Please note that any salary estimates provided on third-party sites are not endorsed by Boots and may not be accurate.
About The Boots Group
The Boots Group is a trusted leader in healthcare, pharmacy and retail, operating across 11 countries - including the UK, Ireland, Thailand and Mexico. The Boots Group brands - including Boots, Boots Opticians, No7 Beauty Company, Farmacias Benavides and Alliance Healthcare - are trusted and well recognised healthcare and beauty businesses, serving millions of customers and patients every day in communities around the world. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, passionate about embracing the diversity of our colleagues and providing a positive and inclusive working environment for all.
What's next
If you apply, our team will be in touch to let you know the outcome of your application or to arrange next steps. Where a role is advertised as full-time, we are open to discussing part-time and job share options during the application process. If you require additional support as part of the application and interview process, we are happy to provide reasonable adjustments to help you to be at your best.
Boots is a Ban the Box employer and will consider the suitability of applicants with criminal convictions on a case-by-case basis.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be Brilliant with Boots
Keywords
Head of Comms, Head of PR, wellness, Senior PR Manager